AT, CDT and PCT

I did 300 miles on the southern portion of the AT in June 2011.

If it rains Even the nicest pack cover will not stop your stuff from getting wet. Its best to get a nice 30 gallon trashbag to use as a pack liner and keep all of your non waterproof stuff in it (it will still get wet anyway but just not as wet).

To wash clothing while on the trail we used a smaller durable trash bag. We'd fill it with water and dump in a little soap (Dr. Bronners I believe is what we used) with the clothing. Shake up and dump the water a safe distance from the source. Tie some nylon cord around 2 trees and use clothes pins to hang dry. If you use sweat wicking stuff it will dry by the next day. Sometimes the thick socks took an extra night.

OH and duct tape. I walked about 100 miles with my boot taped together. It also fixed my friends walking pole. I even made a patch for my pack (I used a needle and thread to sew the duct tape on).

Whiteblaze.net forums was the best source of info. I was never unprepared for what happened on the trail.

I've hiked the northern part of the PCT (N. Cal, Oregon and Washington) as well as about 300 mile of the CDT through Colorado.  Those hikes were truly awesome experiences.  I look forward to doing the entire CDT when my kids are grown. 

There's lots of logistics info out there: blogs, maps, advice etc, so thats not too big an issue, even though it seems daunting at first.  There's some wear and tear on the body, but if you start the hike functionally strong, and take a rest day when you need it, its not a big deal.  Take extremely good care of your feet -- keep them clean, fungus-free, and blister-free. 

I think the biggest challenge is mentally accepting whatever comes your way without fighting it -- icy sleet at 12,000 feet can be miserable, but it can also be beautiful.  Also, its *interesting* integrating back into society when you're done -- you'll never look at things in the same way again.

Good luck!

Keeping thi

ngs dry is important.  I used trash bags for my sleeping bag and my clothes.  TP/books/First Aid kit all went in Ziploc bags.  On the PCT I had something like 10 straight days of drizzle -- with that, everything gets damp no matter what you do.  So, its important to have clothing that will still keep you warm when wet (fleece, polypro, etc) as well as very good rain gear, and maybe a synthetic sleeping bag. 

I never had long term foot issues.  I always wear two pairs of socks: polypro liners on the inside and wool on the outside -- keeps the feet dry and friction-free.  Some pretty bad blisters on the CDT when one of my boot liners self-destructed.  Duct tape is good for blisters if you catch them early.  Put some plastic right on the blister and then duct tape over that.  It still will hurt, but it eliminates friction, so it wont get worse. 

Are you thinking of next summer?

p.s. Each of the three trails have completely different characters, but you likely already know that.

A couple years ago, I did a section on the PCT around Lake Tahoe, in July, in the snow

I'm doing the Whites on the AT next summer.

I don't approach a section hike much different from any other hike/camping trip.

Just remember, for much of the Sierra, you are required to have a bear canister.

I hike in trail runners, and expect them to last 500 miles (about 2x as long as my actual running shoes)